GENEVA, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- A Ninja Warrior-based obstacle course event will be included in the competition of modern pentathlon at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028, the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) announced on Monday.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced modern pentathlon will be featured at the LA28 at the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai, India, on October 16, after UIPM replaced riding with obstacle race to complete the five disciplines of the modern pentathlon.

"UIPM had been considering replacing the riding discipline by the time of the Los Angeles Olympics in view of training environment and safety issues. Upon consultation with the IOC, it has now been decided that obstacle racing, based on SASUKE/Ninja Warrior, will feature as the new discipline," according to a UIPM release.

The SASUKE/Ninja Warrior is a hugely popular sports entertainment program of Tokyo Broadcasting System Television (TBS), using various obstacles including those based on Warped Wall obstacles.

UIPM Secretary General Shiny Fang said: "As pioneers of the Ninja Warrior TV phenomenon and inventors of the original show, SASUKE, we believe that continuous inspiration from TBS can help UIPM to further develop our Ninja-style Obstacle product as a recognised sport. We want to reproduce that level of excitement and dynamism at a competitive Olympic level, seamlessly integrated with the other modern pentathlon disciplines, as we anticipate a mouth-watering debut in the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028."

In accordance with this decision, obstacle racing will be introduced to the UIPM Pentathlon World Championships and all other elite competitions starting in 2025, following its successful integration at junior and youth levels in 2023, UIPM announced. Enditem

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